Tricycle



(No Model.)

F. H. GIBBS.

TRIGYGLE.

No. 416,591. Patented Dec. 3, 1889.

INVENTOR N PETERS. PImKO-Lllhugmplver. Washlngicn. D C.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK H. GIBBS, OF SYRACUSE, NEIV YORK.

TRICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,591, dated December 3, 1889.

Application filed September 22,1888. Serial No. 286,057. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK H. GIBBS, of

Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tricycles, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in tricycles; and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction of the same, substan tially as will be hereinafter more fully described, and specifically .pointed out in the claims.

In the annexed drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, in which- Figure 1 is a side View of a tricycle embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same, showing a canopy-top.applied thereto. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same with the canopy removed, and showing the general form of the frame and its connections. Fig. 4 is an enlarged View of the supporting-neck, to which the side bars are connected. Fig. 5 is an enlarged rear view of the bracket, which is suspended from said neck and side bars, which bracket supports the actuating-treadles and sprocket-driver, and shows the neck D in dotted lines to illustrate the form. of one style thereof at its end. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the bracket of Fig. 5, and illustrates the general form thereof, together with the adjusting-screwli', used for tightening the driving-chain A'.. Fig. 7 is a plan view of a portion of the seat-supporting cross-bar g, on which rests the spring h, and shows the manner of securing said spring, so as to give it longitudinal play. Fig. 8-illus trates a modification of my invention, showing the bracket IIsuspended from the forward end of the side bars, and Fig. 9 is a view of Fig. 8, taken just back of the rear end of the bracket 11.

In the construction of tricycles it is desirable that the working parts of the machine shall be set low to avoid accidents in passing obstacles, and also that they shall be positive in operation without lost motion; and to that end my invention consists in peculiarities of construction which allow the working parts to be set low, and at the same time be positive in their operation, free from liability of accident, and economical in cost of production.

In the drawings, A is the axle of the driving-wheels.

-B B are boxes supported on the "axle, in which the latter is journaled.

b b are flanges, which may extend upwardly from said boxes B B, or they may proj ectbelow the same, if desired.

To the flanges b b the ends of the side bars 0 O are secured in proper manner.

b b are projections cast integral with the boxes B B, through which pass the seat-supporting rods 01 (1, held in position by setscrews e 6, so as to allow the rods to be adjusted vertically to raise or lower the seat S and canopy-top P, to accommodate riders of different sizes.

ff are collars shrunk on or otherwise secured to the rods d (Z, and g is a cross-bar resting on the collars ff, and is provided with openings 2', through which pass the seatsupporting rods (1 d, said bar 9 serving to brace said rods and support the seat S, which may rest on said barg, or on a flat spring supported thereby.

h is a fiat spring secured to the bar g, so as to give it longitudinal play when weight is applied thereto on the seat S, supported by said spring. 1

The forward ends of the side bars 0 O are preferably secured to the curved neck D, at the lower end D thereof, in such position in relation to said neck that a portion D thereof shall extend below the side bars, for a purpose hereinafter shown. The neck D projects forward from the side bars and terminates in one or more vertical bearings E E,

insure the side bars beingplaeed high enough to avoid contact with the sliding" bracket II.

In my improved tricyle the bracket II is provided, so that the driving-treadles t l, together with the sprocket-wheel, usually used in connection therewith, may be hung as low as possible, and to that end the bracket II is provided with the legs shown, and at the lower end they are provided with journals H H in which is held the shaft of the treadles and sprocket-wheel.

In practice it has been found in using a chain and sprocket-wheels (or other driving means, such as cranks and rods) that it is frequently necessary to advance the forward treadles and connections, for the purpose of taking up slack in said chain as it stretches, or in assembling the parts of the tricycle in manufacturing; and to that end many devices have been usedsuch as various styles of boxes sliding on the connecting-frame held in place thereon by set-screws bearing against said frame; but in many cases such devices are liable to slip when strain is applied thereto, thus necessitating a readjustment of the parts affected thereby. To overcome this difficulty, I provide the bracket II with a closed end L at one end thereof and in the portion L place a screw L, the inner end of which projects into the opening between II II" and bears on the forward face of the neck D or the side bars (3 C, thus causing said bracket to move readily by simply turning the set-screw L.

The bracket H may be supported as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, in which the bracket embraces the side bars 0 C and neck D at D, and is supported thereby; but in this construction the adjustable connection of side bars to the supportinguieck is dispensed with for obvious reasons.

It is desirable in some cases to provide the neck D with a series of perforations, so that the same casting may be used; with differentsized wheels and preserve the angle of the neck to the line of travel.

At Fig, 2 is shown a canopy-top and seat movable vertically on the rods which support said top, the latter rods also being adjustable. The several features of adjustment allow the canopy to be set at the desired elevation above the seat and the latter to be adjusted to accommodate riders of different sizes. The sidebars G C are connected at their forward ends to the supporting-neck D at D. They extend back from said neck nearly parallel for a portion of their length, but before reaching the axle are deflected outward and back to the boxes B B, to which they are secured, thus forming a Y-shaped frame, which is very light and strong, with but little cost, serving also to brace the tricycle and hold the boxes B B near the driving-wheels, where the axle is best supported, and the seat-rods, with the seat-connections, serve as an additional brace for the same purpose.

By using side bars formed as shown I am enabled to dispense with the usual trussframe used to support the seat and side bars, the bar 9 serving as a brace and support for the spring-seat supported thereon.

Having described myinvention,whatlclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a tricycle, the driving-wheels and their axle, and the boxes mounted near the ends of the axle close to the wheels, combined with the side bars connecting the boxes and the neck, and the upright seat-supporting rods independent-lysecured in said boxes, substantially as described.

2. In a tricycle, the driving-wheels, their axle, and the boxes mounted on the axle close to the wheels, combined with the side bars secured at one end to the boxes and curved inward and then parallel into a Yshaped frame supported at the other end on the neck, and the upright seat-supporting rods independently secured in said boxes, substantially as described.

In a tricycle, the driving-wheels, their axle, and the boxes mounted thereon having projecting flanges, combined with the side bars secured at one end to said flanges bent into a Y-shaped frame, and secured at the other end to the neck, substantially as described.

4. In a tricycle, the driving-wheels, their axle, and the boxes mounted thereon, combined with the side bars bolted at one end to the boxes bent into a Y shaped frame, and adjnstably secured at the other end to the neck, substantially as described.

5. In a tricycle, the combination of the sidebar frame, the neck connected thereto, and the bracket suspended therefrom and supporting the, driving treadle, substantially as described.

6'. In a tricycle, the driving-wheels, their axle, the boxes, the side-bar frame, and the neck, combined with the suspended bracket, the driving-treadle thereon, and the, connection therefrom to the axle, substantiallyas described.

7 In a tricycle, the side-bar frame and the neck connected thereto and having its lower portion extending below said frame, combined with the bracket mounted adjustably on said extension and supporting the driving-treadle, substantially as described.

8. In a tricycle, tlre side-bar frame and the neck connected thereto, combined with the bracket mounted on the downwardly-extended end of the neck beneath said frame and having a closed end to the opening in which the neck is seated, and a screwthreaded through said closed end and bearing against the neck, substantially as described.

9; In a tricycle, the driving-wheels and their axle, the boxes, the side-bar frame and the neck, com biuedwith the suspended'and adjustable bracket, the driving-treadle mounted thereon, and the connection therefrom to the axle, substantially as described.

10. In a tricycle, the driving-Wheels and their axle, and the boxes mounted near the ends of the axle close to the wheels, combined 11.. In a tricycle, the driving-wheels and their axle and the boxes mounted near the ends of the axle close to the wheels, combined with the rods adjustable in the boxes, the cross-bar bracing and adjustable on said rods, and the seat supported on said bar, substantially as described. v Y

12. In a tricycle, the driving-Wheels and their axle and the boxes mounted near the ends of the axle close to the wheels, combined with the rods adjustable in the boxes, the cross-bar bracing and adjustable on said rods, the seat supported on said bar, and the canopy secured to the upper ends of said rods, substantially as described.

13. In a tricycle, the driving-wheels and their axle, and the boxesv mounted near; the ends of the axle close to the wheels, combined with the rods secured in said boxes, the crossbar bracing said rods, and the flat spring and seat on said bar, substantially as described.

14. The driving-wheels and their axle A, the boxes B, mounted thereon, as described, and having the flanges b and the lugs 19 combined with the Y-shaped frame 0, and the seat-supporting adjustable rods (1, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 21st day of September, 1888.

' FREDERICK H. GIBBS. Witnesses GEO. J. OHAMPLIN,

O. H. SEDGWIox. 

